Marine lamp



Oct. 29, 1929. H. w. ARMSTRONG 1,733,981

MARINE LAMP v Filed May 5. 1928 LI iMglL,

VENTOR 20 v m I LZTTORVEY Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UITE 'HENRY W. ARMSTRONG, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR .TO THE NATIONAL MARINE LAMP COMPANY, OF FORESTVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT MARINE LAMP Application filed May 5, 1928. Serial No. 275,328.

in which the construction and organization are such as to be economical for manufacture I and satisfactory for service and to render the lamp substantially proof against extinguishing of the light by wind enterlng around the closure. Another object is to provide simple and advantageous automatic means for holding the lenscarrying member shut, the means being of a character which enables the member to be unfastened and opened by one-hand operation in a single motion, and to be closed and fastened with similar facility.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof; I

Fig. 1 is a front view'of the lamp closed;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 51s a fragmentary elevation of the lamp with the hinged front open, the line of sight lying in the plane of the wall 3. v

The lamp shown in the drawings is of the kind having a box body 2 which is of sub stantially sectoral shape in horizontal section, having two walls 3 and 4 approximately atright angles to each other and a curved front 5. The body has a bottom 6, and a customary domed top 7 surmounted by a ventilator cap 8. On the side wall 8 thereis the usual socket 9 to receive the bracket on which the lamp is placed.

' The interior of the curved front 5 is cut out to provide a door opening 10 through whichthe lamp 11 proper is accessible and removable.

In addition to the oil lamp, the body may be provided with a holder 12 for an electric .45 light, as is common.

The front 5 affords a fairly wide face 13 which extends around the opening 10 at the sides and at top and bottom. At the top and at the bottom of the front, separated from the upper and lower edges of the door opening by the upper and lower portions of the face 13, are forwardly projecting flanges or ledges 14 and 15. These ledges may extend, all the way around the body, and in themselves are a known constructional feature of such lamps, but they are here made use offora particular purpose. I i

In accordance with the invention the lamp is provided with a hinged front 16, which constitutes a lens-carrying door but, instead of being largeenough to cover the door opening with some degree of overlap, is coextensive with the fixed front 5 of the body. The hinged front is curved in amanner to conform substantially to the curvature of the fixed front, and is hinged at one side to the wall 8 of the body, the hinge as awhole being marked 17.

' The hinged front 16'is made of sheet metal with its interior out out to provide a lens opening 18. The lens opening is recessed inwardly in a familiarform, and the lens 19 is preferably held in the opening by retaining strips 20 which extend across the lens at top and bottom. Such retaining strips detachably secured at both ends by screws have long been known in the art. In the present lamp, however, these strips are. hinged at one end so that they may not become separated from the part 16. At this end each strip is curled as shown at 21 to encircle a staple-like hinge member 22, the limbs of which pass through one of the side walls 23 of the recessed lens' opening, to which thelimbs are soldered on the inside. At the opposite ends of the strips I make use of the customaryscrew and nut fastenings 24, or of any other suitable form of detachable fastening. The hingedstrips are not only safeguarded against loss, but

require the unfastening of only two fastenings in order to remove or insert a lens.

As stated, the hinged front 16 is coextensive with the fixed front 5. When closed, it extends from side to side, or from corner to corner, of the curved fixed front, and in the vertical direction from ledge 1 L to ledge 15. Thus, not only by reason of the area of the surfaces in contact (that is to say, the entire area of the face 13 and the corresponding area of the back of the hinged front), but also by reason of the close proximity of the upper and lower edges of the hinged front to the ledges, very effective protection is secured *against wind entering through the door opening and blowing out the light.

A further import-ant wind protectionis obtained by causing the hinged front to close or extend around one or-both ofthe frontcorners of the body. T hisis particularly important at the free edge of'the hinged front, that is to say its edge or side remote from the hinge, and is important'also at the hinged side.

At the hinged side this is contrived by disposing the hinge somewhat around the corner 'fromthefixed front 5. The hinge preferably lies just in rear'of the continuation of the curvature ofthe fixed front, though it will be 'understoodtha't' the result is not dependent upon exact relations'and that the hinge might project somewhat forwardly of this curvedline. The hinge ispreferably made *with' hinge plates25 soldered'or otherwise securedto the outside of the wall?) and having their forward edges '26 curled to receive a hinge pintle 27, the portions 26 and the pintle 27 being located approximately as stated.

The hinge edge of the member 16' is cut out to receive-the portions 26 of the hinge plates, and the other portions of this edge region are engage the lip 29 over the corner of the body, and likewise to disengage it therefrom, it is necessary to force the moderately resilient material of which the memberlfi is made, so

that the member is stretched or placed in ten- I sion. This draws the curved hinged front snugly against the curved fixed front, with something ofa wrapping action, so that there is little opportunity for draft to pass between the surfaces. Thelip may also, and preferably does, act as an effective automatic catch for holding the hinged front closed.

Fig. 3 illustrates 'inan approximate manner the relations which exist when the hinged fron't'is about to befully closed. The lip 29 above and below the horizontal center.

is resting against the fixed front 5 adjacent the corner, or it may rest against the curve of this corner, which need not, of course, be perfectly square or sharp. A rearward, or a rearward and sideways push, on the knob 30 secured to this portion of the hinged front will force the lip over the corner and cause it to clasp the side of the body, where it is self holding, since the hinged front or the lip, or both, must be stretched or tensi-oned somewhat by a comparatively vigorous pull on the knob in order to drawthe lip away from the corner.

For further security I may and preferably do also employ an automatic .roller catch. Two of these are preferably provided, located The precise construction may be varied somewhat.

-As illustrated, eaclrof these devices comprises a resiliently yielding plate .35 secured by screws and nuts 31,01 in othersuitable manner, to the'side wall 4. The plate proje'ctsat the front beyond'the linesof the fixed front Sand is cut out to'receive a roller 82, the plate being curled above and'below the'roller-at 33 to engage and hold a pintle t'on which the roller turns.

The roller is'so positioned that it is encountered by the free edge of the member=16, and must be forced aside when the member is either opened or closed. In the closed position the roller engages over the edge of the member 16, hugging the front'thereof. The lateral movement'of the rollers is permitted by their resilient mountings.

These roller catches, while desirable, may be omitted, in 'which event reliance may be placed solely on the lip 29 as a catch. Naturally, if the roller catches are used, theengagement of the lip 29 with thebody'need not be so tight as it should be if the lip constituted the only catch. However, in'order to secure the desired degree of tightness against wind it is advantageous to cause the lip to=clasp around the corner quite firmly, and the presence of the two forms of catch gives double security that the door will not come upon accidentally.

I claim:

1. A marine lamp comprising a 'bodyof" around one corner of the body, and the hinge which connects the hinged front with the body being substantially coextensive with 'the other vertical edge of the hinged front and being disposed to close around the other cornor of the body.

2. A marine lamp comprising a body of substantially sectoral section formed with a curved front comprising a face surrounding a door opening, and with forwardly projecting ledges extending across said front at top and bottom of said face, and a curved lens-carrying front hinged to said body and when closed lying against said face, said hinged lens-carrying front being substantially coextensive with the front of the body from corner to corner and from ledge to ledge, said hinged front being constructed to close around both front corners'of the body.

HENRY W. ARMSTRONG. 

